Cut From The Same Cloth
by Ghostwriter
Summary: Casey finds herself attracted to a new student who shares her secret.
1. The New Boy

CUT FROM THE SAME CLOTH

AUTHOR'S NOTE/DISCLAIMER

This is the prequel to "Wild Girl" which is a story I will be uploading soon and is a crossover with another show called Mutant X which was a show about four twenty-something characters who had special powers because of a genetics research experiment that their parents had been involved in the eighties. There were four basic types of powers: feral, molecular, elemental, and tele-empath. The four core characters were Jesse Kilmartin (molecular, he could phase so that a person's hand would go right through him or mass which essentially turned his body into a brick wall. He was later able to phase other objects and people), Shalimar Fox (feral, she had the instincts and agility of a cat, though she looked normal. When upset, her eyes would turn yellow, she was later able to fend off attacks without even looking), Brennan Mulwray (elemental, could summon and control electricity with his fingers, was later able to use this power to push himself into the air via a form of "jetting)), and Emma DeLauro (tele-empath, she could sense others' emotions which were often portrayed metaphorically, and could make people see whatever illusion she desired, was later able to produce a white ball of light on her forehead which she could use to knock people out). Their mentor and leader was a human scientist named Adam Kane. Later they were joined by Lexa Pierce (like Brennan, she was elemental, though instead of generating electricity, she was able to bend light to make herself and others invisible). Here's the background for the story: in 1990, Brennan had a relationship with Jessica Young, a feral, which resulted in Casey being born. Jessica didn't want to be a mother, and just left Casey with Brennan. In 2001 (when Casey was eleven), Brennan joined Mutant X. Brennan and Shalimar became very close and Casey began to view Shalimar as her mother, and she saw Jesse as an uncle and Emma and later Lexa as aunts and Adam as a grandpa. Casey is a cross between Brennan and Shalimar power-wise. In 2005 (when Casey was fifteen), Mutant X was forced into hiding and Casey was placed with Nora and Dennis who were family friends of Adam's for safekeeping. For those of you who know the series, I am ignoring Emma's death as well as the expiration date and creator angles, and I'm taking out the Dominion. This is a reworking of "6½" and will be replacing Truman French with my own character. For communications, she has the phone Derek gave her in "The Pox Father" and a comlink that Adam made for her when she and Brennan joined Mutant X. Life With Derek belongs to Canadian Television and Disney. Mutant X belongs to Tribune, Marvel Studios, and Fireworks Entertainment. I only own the plot. I don't know Amy's last name (Max's girlfriend), so I made something up. Mutant X characters may make sporadic appearances in this fic, though they won't be the main focus. Casey wears a comlink just like the rest of Mutant X only it's coded with Brennan's DNA as well as her own. She also has the phone Derek gave her in "The Pox Father".

It was a typical day at Sir John Sparrow Thompson High. Kids either walked to their classes or dawdled in the halls, talking to their friends. The only thing out of the ordinary was the boy coming out of Principal Lassiter's office. He was five-ten, Caucasian with brown eyes and short-cropped black hair and had a small diamond stud in his right ear. He was wearing a white t-shirt that was covered by a black motorcycle jacket with red patches on the elbows in front and in the back was red with a section of black on top, pale blue jeans, and black motorcycle boots. Hearing the sound of two girls talking, he turned to see two girls-one African American with wavy black hair, the other Caucasian with brown hair-making their way through the halls. The African-American girl was five-three with straight black hair and was wearing a pink t-shirt with black jeans and white sneakers. The Caucasian girl was five-five and a half with brown hair and was wearing a green t-shirt with white stripes, a pair of dark blue jeans, and black tennis shoes. The boy continued to stare at her. He wasn't sure why, but he felt instantly connected and drawn to her. _What's up with that? Why would I feel that way about some girl I don't even know?_ he wondered. Then, the warning bell rang and he glanced down at his schedule. Then, he headed for the first class on his list, math. He grimaced as he headed for the class. _Not a good way to start the day_, he thought to himself. _Well, being late would be an even worse way to start out_, he mused. With that, he headed for the class. What he didn't know, was that the two girls he had been watching, had also noticed him.

"Who was that?" the Caucasian girl asked. Her name was Casey MacDonald.

"I don't know. But he sure was cute," the African-American girl answered. Her name was Emily Davids.

"I'll say," Casey agreed with a giggle. _Why do I get the feeling that we would get along very well?_ she wondered. Then, they hurried towards their first class. As she took notes, Casey bit her lower lip. She couldn't get that guy out of her head. Why had she felt that pull towards him? She didn't even know him! And yet…there was something familiar about him. But what? Despite her musings, Casey managed to keep herself focused on the class. When it was finally over, Casey gathered up her belongings and headed out, Emily close behind her.

"So I noticed that you were concentrating more than usual," the girl said.

"Oh, my gosh! I swear, there were times when my mind just went-" the other girl made a zooming motion with her hand.

"Really?"

"Yeah, I couldn't get that new boy off of my mind."

"Really?" Emily let out a laugh of disbelief. She had never seen Casey this way, not even when she was dating Sam and Max. To her surprise, Casey's attitude continued as the day progressed. In fact, it seemed to get worse. Casey talked about the boy constantly, would sneak glances at him when she thought no one was looking, and when it seemed like he was looking at her, she'd quickly look away. Emily wasn't the only one who had noticed the reaction. At lunch, Derek Venturi, who was sitting with his best friends, Sam Richards and Ralph Papadopolous had also seen the girl in action.

"It's weird. I've never seen Casey fall so hard," Ralph mused.

"How you would you know? You guys aren't exactly best friends," Derek pointed out. _And I don't even know why we're discussing my stepsister's love life in the first place_, he silently added to himself.

"Maybe not, but I dated her, and I saw how she was with Max, and this-isn't like her," Sam responded.

"Okay, could we **stop** discussing Casey's love life?" he requested. "Or, you know, the lack of it?" he added.

"Dude, you're not even the least bit curious?" Sam asked.

"Nope," Derek replied. Then, he switched the topic to an upcoming game and soon the boys were in a heated discussion, Casey's strange behavior basically forgotten. Meanwhile, Casey and Emily were sitting at their own table, also talking about the boy.

"So, what is it about him that's attracting you?" Emily wondered.

"I don't know, Em. All I know is that for some reason, I'm being drawn towards him," Casey replied. _This sounds like what Mom described when she and dad told me about Richard Saunders_, she thought. Her heart jumped hopefully. Could this boy be a feral like herself? Okay, so she was only half feral, while the other half of her with an elemental like her father, but still…could this boy be a mutant? _It'd certainly explain why I'm drawn to him_, she thought to herself, recalling the penchant for ferals to instinctively seek each other out. What no one knew, was that the boy was wondering the same thing. _Could she be like me? Is that why I'm attracted to her?_ he wondered. He had to admit, it'd be nice to finally have someone else like him around. Oh, his parents were cool and everything, but they couldn't really understand how lonely it could get. His reverie was broken when a blonde-haired girl wearing a red tank top, black denim shorts, and brown ankle boots walked up to him.

"Hi, I'm Kendra Collins," she introduced herself, sitting down next to him.

"Curtis Valentine," he responded.

"Well, it's very nice to meet you," she told him, as they shook hands. _Well, he's kinda cute_, she thought. But truthfully, she had her eye on one of Max's football buddies. She was only doing this to play out a hunch she had gotten from watching Casey. Almost as if sensing the girl, Casey turned in her seat towards the table where the boy was sitting.

"Wow. Kendra moves fast," Emily laughed.

"She sure does," Casey replied, clenching her hands into fists, which went unnoticed by her friend. "Excuse me, Em. I'll be right back," she said, standing up. Then, before Emily could stop her, she strode over there.

"Hey, Kendra," she greeted sweetly. Curtis let out a secretive grin when he heard the slight jealously in her voice. _This oughtta be interesting_, he thought to himself.

"Oh, hey, Case," the other girl acknowledged. "Oh, Curtis, this is a good friend of mine, Casey MacDonald. Casey, this is Curtis Valentine," she introduced them.

"It's **very** nice to meet you, Curtis," Casey emphasized, moving so that Kendra was out of Curtis' line of vision and the blonde-haired girl bit back a chuckle. _Looks like my hunch paid off_, she thought.

"Well, I'm going to let you guys get better acquainted," she declared, standing up. "Good luck," she whispered to Casey before walking away. _Well, that sly little…_Casey's thought trailed off as she turned her attention back to Curtis, who was smirking.

"Interesting girl," he commented.

"That's one word for her," she agreed.

"So, what do you do for fun around here?" he asked.

"I dance," she answered.

"You're a dancer?" he asked, his voice betraying his interest.

"Not like, professionally or anything, but yeah," she replied. "How 'bout you?" she continued.

"I don't do much. Especially since my parents and I just moved here," he answered.

"Well, what kind of cycle do you have?" Casey wondered.

"Very astute," Curtis approved.

"Oh, please. Simple deduction. A **monkey** would be able to tell from your jacket that you ride," Casey replied.

"Actually, you'd be surprised," Curtis said. "Anyways, I have a Kawasaki," he told her.

"Wow. That's pretty cool," she said. Granted, she preferred her father's Mustang or her mother's Honda 250, but Kawasakis were pretty cool. They continued to talk; unaware of the looks of shock they were getting from the rest of the student body.

"Why is that hot guy all over that boring keener?" a cheerleader, Stacey Reynolds, questioned.

"Who knows?" her friend, Miranda Peterson, responded.

"I wouldn't exactly say he's all over her. They're just talking," Amy Chandler stated. Stacey scoffed.

"Whatever. I'm going to introduce myself," she declared. With that, she stood up and headed for the table that Curtis and Casey were sitting at.

"Hi. You must be new here. I'm Stacey," she introduced herself, interrupting their conversation.

"Curtis," Curtis acknowledged and then turned back to Casey. "So, what were you saying?" he asked.

"Oh, well, uh, I-" Casey's voice trailed off, as she tried to remember what they had been talking about.

"If you can't even form a complete sentence, Klutzilla, you should really stop bothering people," Stacey interrupted. As Casey's eyes flashed, Curtis noticed a quick flash of gold, something that Stacey completely missed. _She __**is**__ like me_, he realized, remembering what his parents had told him about his eyes turning gold when he was made angry enough.

"Actually, **you**'**re** bothering **us**. We were having a great conversation which you interrupted. So if you would leave us alone, that'd be great," Curtis responded. Stacey let out an exclamation of surprise.

"Well, you don't have to be so rude. I was being polite and trying to save you from boredom," she told him and then flounced off.

"Oooh, I can't stand her," Casey fumed, her eyes once again flashing gold. Curtis let out a discreet cough and pointed to his eyes. Casey's jaw dropped. How could she have messed up like that? Now he knew that she wasn't normal. She started to stand,

"Wait, don't go," he said, grabbing her wrist. _What? He's not freaking out?_ she wondered. "It's okay. I know what you are," he said.

"Oh, really?" she challenged. _If he calls me a freak, I'm gonna flip him, cover or no cover_, she thought.

"You're like me…not human," he said quietly.


	2. Feral Attraction

DISCLAIMER

Life With Derek belongs to Canadian Television and Disney. Mutant X belongs to Tribune, Marvel Studios, and Fireworks Entertainment. Text message is in bold. For this, Casey's not as health conscious since I figured ferals would probably have a high metabolism and could eat anything.

Casey stared in shock.

"What?" she asked, playing dumb. _Is this one of the guys trying to kill us? _she wondered.

"It's okay, I won't tell anyone," Curtis assured, letting his eyes glow gold for just a second. _He's like me?_ she thought eagerly. That would explain why he wasn't freaking out. But then again, other mutants had been used against her father and his team before. She'd have to have him checked out. But how? It wasn't like she had the necessary equipment to do it. Then, it hit her. **She** may not have the resources to check this guy out, but she knew someone who did.

"Look, I don't know what you're talking about. I just came over to say 'Hi' and introduce myself because you're new, but if you're going to get all weird on me, forget it," she snapped, standing. With that, she walked away.

"Hey, wait!" Curtis exclaimed, jumping up. However, he wasn't fast enough to stop her. He let out deep sigh. _Well, that didn't go very well_, he thought to himself. He couldn't believe had just done that. What had he been thinking? Ignoring the stares from the other students, Casey walked out of the cafeteria and into the halls, heading for the girls' room. Once inside, she did a quick check to make sure that it was clear. Once she was satisfied she was alone, she lifted her right hand to her mouth.

"Hey, it's me. I'm okay, but I need a computer favor," she said into the silver ring on her index finger.

"What's up, kiddo?" a voice asked.

"Hey, Uncle Jesse," she greeted. "Could you run a background check on a Curtis Valentine for me? He's a new student here and he's claiming to be a feral," she continued.

"He just told you this?" he asked a bit skeptically. She hesitated.

"I…screwed up," she finally admitted. "I let my anger get the best of me and he saw my eyes go gold," she confessed.

"All right, no sweat. You're human. I'll check him out and get back to you," Jesse Kilmartin assured her.

"Thanks, Uncle Jesse. Oh, and I'm in the middle of classes, so just text me whatever you find out," Casey said and then cut off communications. After that, she headed back out, got the books she needed, and headed for her next class. Hopefully, she'd know something soon. After cutting off communications with Casey, Jesse turned his attention back to the computer, where he quickly finished his project, sent it out, and then closed out the window. He was wearing a gray two-piece suit and thick round glasses hid his brown eyes.

"Okay, Curtis Valentine," he mused to himself as he typed in the name. _Let's just see who this guy is_, he thought to himself. It took him a while, but he finally found the guy he was looking for. His eyes clouded as he read the bio. He let out a scoff and shook his head. _Poor kid. Didn't get much of a break thanks to these guys_, he thought to himself. Once he was sure he got all of the information, he pulled out his phone, wrote down what he had found out, and then pressed "send". _Okay, now that that's over and done with, back to the grind_, Jesse thought, deleting his search history and pulling up a work file. Casey was in the middle of English when she felt a buzzing in her pocket. _Uncle Jesse must've found something_, she realized. She waited until the teacher's back was turned to pull her phone out and opened the text.

**Curtis Valentine: 17yrs old, remission from Leukemia since he was 12. During treatment, doctors gave him experimental medicines that gave him cat-like reflexes and instincts. After that, he and his parents have been pretty much out of the limelight.**

_So someone with a complex decided to play loose and fancy-free with a cancer patient? Beautiful_, Casey thought to herself, shaking her head. Poor Curtis. At least her powers had been hereditary. Well, at least she knew that there was nothing to worry about from him. If there had been any red flags, Uncle Jesse would've found them. She quickly put her phone back in her pocket and turned back to her notes. After school, she hung back away from the rest of the students until she saw who she was searching for.

"Curtis! Hey, Curtis!" she called. Hearing her, he stopped and waited until she had caught up with him.

"What's up?" he asked.

"Not here. Somewhere private," she said. He looked around and then pulled her into a secluded corner in the hall.

"So?" he asked. _What's with her? I thought she was mad at me or something_, he thought.

"You were right. I **am** like you," she confirmed.

"I thought so," he said.

"But you're wrong to say we're not human. We **are**, we just…have something extra in our genes," she said.

"I never thought of it that way," he admitted.

"So, how old were you when you first found out?" Casey asked.

"I was twelve," Curtis answered. He sighed. "I was…sick…Leukemia…and I went in for chemo. When I finished with the first round of treatments, I discovered that I could do things that I couldn't do before. Not only that, I was stronger, faster…it was incredible," he continued.

"What'd your parents have to say about this?" Casey wondered.

"They were a bit freaked at first…not that I blame them. But, once they got used to it, they were pretty cool, though they're a bit overprotective," Curtis replied. _Wow. I can't believe that I'm just telling her all of this. __**Why**__ am I telling her all of this?_ he wondered. "How 'bout you? Whe did **you** discover you were a bit...different?" he asked.

"Ten. Only, my mom's like me, and my dad has a different power all together, which I also have," Casey replied. _Wow. I've never felt like this with anybody before. Is this a feral thing? And even if it is, why did I just tell him all of that when I'm in hiding?_ she wondered.

"Well, it's been nice talking to you, but I better go. Like I said, my parents are a bit overprotective and they get kinda worried if I'm not home at a certain time. Plus, we're in a new town and-" Curtis started to say.

"Hey, that's totally cool. I understand," Casey interrupted. "See ya tomorrow?" she asked hopefully.

"Yeah. That sounds cool," he replied. Then, they went to the parking lot, where he got on his black Kawasaki, revved the engine, and drove off as Casey went to where Derek was waiting in the Prince, a yellow gremlin.

"Where have you been?" he asked as she got in.

"None of your business," came the response, buckling herself up. With a roll of his eyes, Derek started the engine and headed home. Once they were home, Casey went straight to the kitchen and opened the refrigerator. What was she going to do?

"Finding something to eat, or are you airing out the kitchen?" a voice joked. Casey closed the door and turned around to see Nora MacDonald.

"Could I talk to you?" she asked.

"Of course. What is it?" the woman questioned.

"I met this guy in school today. His name's Curtis Valentine and he's a feral…like me," the girl replied.

"Really?" Nora asked in surprise. _How'd she find that out?_ she wondered. "How'd you discover that?" she asked.

"I kinda slipped. I let my emotions get the better of me and my eyes went gold," Casey replied.

"Casey-" Nora began to say.

"I had Uncle Jesse check him out. He's not a threat," Casey interrupted.

"So then, what's the problem?" Nora asked and the girl sighed.

"Well, I'm in hiding. What am I supposed to do? Should I let myself open up to him?" she wondered, running her fingers through her hair. "I mean, more than I have," she added.

"I can't answer this one for you, Casey. I'm sorry," Nora apologized and Casey blew out a breath. Then, Derek came into the room and Casey quickly left and went up to her bedroom, where she immediately pulled out a textbook. _What am I going to do? And why am I so attracted to this guy? Is this a feral thing?_ she wondered. She knew that her mom treated dad and the others like pack, as did she but she hadn't gotten that feeling here before. Oh, she'd protect the MacDonalds and Venturis without even thinking about it, but she didn't feel any strong ties to them like she did her parents, aunts, uncles, and grandpa, so why was this guy so different? With a sigh, she forced herself to concentrate on her schoolwork. She wasn't going to figure this out tonight that was for sure Meanwhile, at his own house, Curtis was helping his parents unpack.

"So, how was school today?" his father, Kent, asked.

"It was really good. I met a girl," Curtis replied.

"Of course," his mother, Lorraine, chuckled.

"That's the thing. This girl…she's like me," Curtis told them.

"What do you mean?" Kent questioned.

"Well, Casey-that's the girl I met-and I were talking when another girl, Stacey, came up and interrupted our conversation. Casey got mad and her eyes went gold. But Stacey didn't see that," Curtis answered. Kent and Lorraine glanced at each other. Curtis wasn't alone? There was another child out there like him? _Well, that's good. I know he's felt isolated from everybody else for a long time_, Lorraine thought to herself. Ever since those blasted doctors had changed him. _Well, good. It's about time Curtis found someone who knows what he's going through_, Kent thought to himself. Goodness knows his son needed someone to talk to. Maybe this girl could help him shed some light on everything that he could do. He and Lorraine couldn't exactly help since they didn't know much anything about what their son could do. All they could really do was love their son for everything he was. Several hours later, they were done for the day and Curtis went to his room to do his homework. At least he tried to. He couldn't get the conversation he had with Casey out of his head. It was nice to know that he wasn't the only person at Sir John Sparrow Thompson High with powers, but it still didn't explain his immediate attraction to her. How could he be so drawn to somebody he had just met? It didn't make sense. _What do I do?_ _Should I ask her about this? I mean, would she tell me what was going on, or would she blow me off?_ he wondered. Then, with a shake of his head, he turned his attention to his schoolwork, pushing his conversation with Casey MacDonald out of his mind.


	3. Night Life

SHOUT OUTS/ANSWERS

Dark-Supernatural-Angel (Chs 1-2): Hey, that's fine. If you have any questions, feel free to ask and I'll do my best to answer them. Thanks, I'm glad you liked it. Yeah, I know, right? I'm surprised you put him in your fic, lol. Well, read on and see. Yeah, it is similar, though I was always a Max/Logan fan. And I still say that if they had had a season 3, they woulda revealed that Lydecker was alive, because **no way** a measly car accident takes **him** out, lol. And yeah, poor Curtis.

DISCLAIMER

Life With Derek belongs to Canadian Television and Disney. Mutant X belongs to Marvel Studios, Tribune, and Fireworks Entertainment. I only own the plot. This fic probably won't be very long since it's just to show how Casey and Curtis get together and Mutant X characters may show up sporadically, but probably not that much, though they'll be referenced. My profile now has a picture of what Curtis looks like. It's at the bottom of the page before listing my stories.

At school the next morning, Casey couldn't help searching for Curtis.

"Looking for someone in particular?" a voice asked. She glanced over her shoulder to see Emily.

"Yeah, Curtis," she responded.

"What? Why?" the other girl asked.

"Because he's hot," came the response. Emily stared at Casey in surprise. _What is with her?_ she wondered, taking in the girl's yellow shirt, pale blue jeans, and white sneakers, an outfit that was completely opposite of her blue shirt, black jeans, and black loafers. Meanwhile, Curtis was also looking for Casey.

"Hey, you're the new guy, right?" a voice questioned. Curtis turned his head to see a boy around Casey's age with brown hair and hazel eyes wearing a green shirt covered by a black leather jacket, dark blue jeans, and black tennis shoes.

"Yeah," Curtis answered shortly. He didn't want to waste time talking to this guy. He wanted to find Casey. He had so many questions for her like: why was he feeling a connection to her? Why couldn't he get her out of his head? And why had she blown hot and cold the previous day?

"I'm Derek," the other boy introduced himself, taking in the boy's outfit of a gray shirt, motorcycle jacket, black jeans, and a motorcycle boots. _That's a pretty cool jacket_, he thought to himself.

"Curtis," he responded, scanning the halls, an action that didn't go noticed.

"So, who you looking for? Bet I could point them out for you. I know everyone here…especially the girls," Derek said, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

"Casey MacDonald," Curtis replied.

"Spacey? Why are you looking for **her**?" Derek asked with a slight sneer.

"Got somethin' to discuss with her," Curtis replied and Derek let out scoff. What could this guy and Casey **possibly** have in common?

"Right. Now who you **really** lookin' for, man?" Derek asked.

"Casey," Curtis responded. Derek let out a scoff. Seriously? This guy was looking for Casey?

"Trust me, she won't be your type," he said.

"Never said I was lookin' for a date. Just said we got stuff to discuss," came the response. _This guy is getting on my nerves. I just want to find Casey_, he thought. Then, he hurriedly walked away from Derek. Then, he saw the brunette that he was looking for. "Casey! Yo, Casey!" he shouted. The girl turned around and then slowed her gait.

"What's up?" she wondered.

"Can we talk?" he asked quietly. "I-I mean, I've got a lot of questions and-"

"Sure, why don't we meet at lunch?"

"Yeah, that sounds cool." Then, the two went their separate ways, both unaware that Derek had watched the scene. _What is up with that?_ he wondered. This Curtis guy had just started in this school. What could he possibly need to talk to Casey about? Then, the warning bell rang and he scurried away to his next class. As the day progressed, Derek tried to catch up with Curtis so that he could figure out why he was so interested in Casey, but the boy continually avoided him. When it was the lunch hour, Curtis waited until he saw Casey come out of a classroom. Then, he approached her and they walked to the cafeteria together, where they got themselves some lunch and then went to a hallway.

"Okay, so what do you want to talk about?" Casey asked.

"Are there others like us?" Curtis wondered. "I mean, this isn't exactly something I can Google," he continued.

"So, you've never heard of other mutants?" Casey questioned.

"No," Curtis replied. "After my parents and I discovered what I could do, we just wanted to be left alone. They didn't want anyone to come after me and I didn't want to get teased for being different," he continued.

"I can understand that," Casey said. _It couldn't have been easy to go from being so sick and needing treatment to suddenly being faster and stronger, and also being able to hear things other people can't_, she thought to herself.

"Well, from what I understand, there's basically four types: moleculars, tele-empaths, elementals, and ferals."

"What does that mean?" Casey went on explaining that moleculars could make their bodies intangible or solid, tele-empaths could read emotions or manipulate thoughts, elemental controlled electricity or light, and ferals had speed, agility, and extra-acute hearing.

"If there's more than that, I have no clue."

"Wow. So, who taught you all of this?"

"My parents…although, some stuff happened where it became too dangerous for me to be with them and so now I'm staying with friends of the family." _Why did I just tell him that? Why do I get the instinctive feeling that I can trust him?_ she wondered. He scooted closer to her.

"That must be tough."

"It is. But you know, what can I do? It makes perfect sense for me to be here. It's safer." They finished their lunch, threw their trash away, and then headed to the cafeteria to put the trays away.

"Man, I am **so** glad it's Friday," Curtis sighed.

"Me too," Casey agreed. "Oh, that reminds me. I usually spend my evenings at _Delancey's Gym_-you know, just to blow off some steam-since I'm pretty much cooped up in the house the rest of the time-and it's really freeing. Why don't you join me?" she continued.

"Are you sure? I wouldn't want to intrude," Curtis told her.

"It's not an intrusion at all," Casey assured.

"Yeah, that sounds cool. I could probably Map Quest it or something. What time do you usually get there?" Curtis asked.

"Six."

"Cool. I'll see you there." Then, they went their separate ways. Casey could hardly wait until school was over, but once it was, she went home and did her homework. A few hours later, she was done. Then, she went downstairs and headed out.

"Where are **you** going?" Derek asked in amusement.

"None of your business," Casey replied.

"Maybe not, but it **is** mine," Nora said.

"I'm going to _Delancey's Gym_," Casey replied.

"All right. That's fine," Nora replied. Derek stared in confusion as Casey walked out. He had noticed that she always went out after finishing her homework, but before tonight, he hadn't known she was going to a gym. And Nora was just okay with her going without asking permission? However, before he could say anything, George came up.

"Where's Casey?" he wondered.

"She went out. She'll be getting her own dinner," Nora replied.

"Oh, okay?" George said. He wasn't sure where she went every evening, but it always seemed to do her good. Casey walked to the bus station, waited until the bus came, and then climbed on board. When it got to its destination, she got off and went into the building known as _Delancey's Gym_. Inside were various types of weight machines, punching bags, balance beams, and parallel bars.

"Hey, Case," a lean, muscular man in his early thirties greeted. He had black hair with a few strands of gray and was wearing a white sweatshirt with gray sweatpants.

"Hi, Vic," Casey replied.

"Look, Case, I need a favor and-" Vic trailed off as Curtis walked in.

"Curtis, this is Victor Delancey, he owns the gym. Vic, this is a friend of mine, Curtis Valentine," Casey introduced them. "Curtis is a feral, like me," she continued.

"Cool," Vic said. "As I said, I gotta pick somethin' up. You mind watchin' the place for a few minutes?" he continued.

"Not at all."

"Thanks." He then headed for the entrance and walked right through the door.

"What the-" Curtis gasped.

"Molecular," Casey explained. "That's what we call phasing," she continued.

"Oh, okay," Curtis said. _Wow. I can't believe this doesn't freak her out_, he thought. Not that he was freaked out, but it was still pretty new to him.

"Come on, race you to the bars," Casey said and ran off. With a laugh, Curtis gave chase. Casey jumped up and grabbed hold of the middle bar and flipped herself up as Curtis did the same. Then, they began twisting, twisting, turning, and flipping through the air, increasing their speed. As they did so, Vic came back in as more and more people arrived and started gravitating towards the different machines and other areas of the gym. Someone turned on the radio and loud rock music pulsated through the room, reverbing off of the walls. Casey jumped off of the highest bar and shot electricity out of her hands as she landed.

"Whoa! That's your other power?" Curtis asked.

"Yeah. My parents call me a feremental," Casey asked. Curtis looked around to see other people displaying their own powers.

"So this place is-"

"A hang out for people like us. During the day, Vic caters to the general populous, but at night, we get to party without fear of being attacked or ridiculed." Curtis laughed and shook his head. Then, everyone switched. Casey and Curtis were now on a pair of mats that someone had laid out. Both got in fighting stances.

"Have you had any training?" Curtis asked.

"Why don't you find out?" Casey challenged. Curtis threw a punch, which Casey expertly blocked. Then, she let out a leg sweep that he dodged by jumping up. Soon, they were locked in an intense combat, each trying various moves to gain the upper hand. However, it soon became apparent that they were evenly matched, as one minute Curtis would have Casey in a hold, then the next, Casey would have Curtis in another hold. Everyone stopped what they were doing to watch.

"Come on, Casey! Get him!" a girl shouted. As the sparring session continued, Curtis could feel his pulse race and his senses heightened. _Wow. I've never been able to train like this. I've always had to hold back so that I wouldn't hurt anybody. This is kinda hot_, he thought to himself. Casey grinned as her eyes went gold. _This is fun! I haven't had a work out like this since I moved here! And Curtis can give me a run for my money. This is __**so**__ hot_, she thought to herself. Their session ended when Curtis pinned Casey to the mats by straddling her waist and holding her wrists down.

"You give?" he asked, flashing her a grin.

"Sure," she responded. The boy loosened his grip and-found himself flat on his back, with the girl on top of him.

"You tricked me!" Curtis accused playfully.

"My father was a thief and a con man. Of course I picked up a few things," Casey responded.

"Oh, yeah?"

"Yeah." Casey leaned forward and kissed Curtis on the lips, putting all of her passion behind it.

AUTHOR'S NOTE

Yes, I know this seems sudden, but in the Mutant X episode "Fool For Love", Shalimar Fox and Richard Saunders had a similar reaction when they met each other. Of course, Adam tried to play it off as a feral's natural animalistic instincts, but…yeah. anyways, here you have it.


	4. Strange Behavior

SHOUT OUT/ANSWERS

Dark-Supernatural-Angel: Thanks. Yeah, I thought it'd be nice. Eh, that's true. Besides, I'm sure the actor's a perfectly nice guy.

DISCLAIMER

Life With Derek belongs to Canadian Television. Mutant X belongs to Marvel Studios, Fireworks Entertainment, and Tribune.

Curtis let out a low moan as Casey continued to kiss him. _Man, she feels so good_, he thought to himself. He wrapped his arms around her and she leaned down, pressing her body against his. _This boy is fine_, she thought to herself as she began exploring his upper body with her fingers.

"Hey! Public place!" Vic shouted, breaking into their thoughts. Immediately, Casey jumped up and then helped Curtis to his feet.

"Sorry, Vic," she apologized. The man just shook his head.

"Ferals," he muttered. If he had let those two continue, the whole gym would've been given a free show. And that was **not** something that they needed. Curtis and Casey laughed.

"Casey, thanks for the invite. This place is amazing," Curtis said to her.

"Yeah, no problem," Casey responded. Then, "Unfortunately, I have to get back home and I don't want to miss my bus," she told him.

"You tell me this after that little stunt you just pulled?" Curtis asked, giving her an incredulous look.

"Well, if you're a good boy and play your cards right, you just may get a lot more than that some day," Casey teased, smacking him on the thigh. Then, she headed for the door. Curtis let out a lustful growl, but otherwise kept his emotions in check as he followed her.

"Can I at least make sure you get home all right?" he requested, opening the door for her.

"Oh, it's okay. I can take the bus," she told him.

"Please…I insist," he stated.

"Well, if you insist," she responded and followed him to where he had parked his black Kawasaki. "Nice," she approved, giving the machine a once over. Curtis opened the glove box and pulled out a pink helmet.

"Have a habit of taking girls out for a spin?" she asked.

"Well, when I bought it, I had a girlfriend. However, it turned out she didn't really have an appreciation for motorcycles and I just never got rid of the helmet," he replied. She took the helmet and strapped it on while Jesse placed his black helmet on his head and cinched it. Once the two were properly protected, Curtis got on in front of Casey, started the engine and took off.

"Hey, I might need directions," he said, not bothering to talk over the roar of the engine. It wasn't necessary. They could both hear just fine.

"Don't worry. I'll give 'em to you," she assured. True to her word, the girl told him where to go until they reached her house. She took off the helmet, opened the glove box, and put the helmet back in.

"Thanks for the ride," she told him.

"No problem," he answered.

"However, if you **ever** want me to ride this bike again, get a different color helmet," she stated and he chuckled.

"Any color preferences?"

"Anything non-girly."

"You got it." With that, he took off and Casey went back inside. Then, went up to her bedroom, got into her pajamas, and went to sleep. The next morning, Casey groaned as sounds came from downstairs. She put her pillow over her head to drown out the wailing. _Great. D-Rock's here_, she thought to herself. She climbed out of bed, got dressed, put on some earrings, her comlink, and a necklace, and brushed her hair. Then, she put some textbooks in her backpack and went downstairs.

"So, when are you guys gonna learn how to sing on-key and play in-tune?" she asked. Derek threw her a withering look.

"Shut up. You're not even a part of this band," he retorted.

"Yeah, if I **was**, you'd probably be getting more gigs," she shot back.

"Hey, you look hot!" Ralph exclaimed. It was then that Casey's outfit registered in Derek's brain. She was wearing a black tank top with low-cut pale blue jeans and black boots.

"Casey, what are you wearing?" Sam asked in concern.

"What? Don't you like it?" Casey asked.

"No!" Sam and Derek chorused.

"Yeah!" Ralph cheered at the same time.

"Casey, you just…you don't look like yourself," Sam said tactfully.

"Yeah! You look like a babe!" Ralph told her.

"Dude! That's my stepsister!" Derek exclaimed in disgust. _Gross! Gross! Gross! I do __**not**__ want to think about her like that!_ he thought. Not that she was ugly by any means, but over the years, he had come to think of her as a real sister. So, the thought of her as Ralph was thinking about her…was just a tad bit creepy. Before they could say anything, there was a knock on the door.

"I'll get it," Casey said and headed for the door, which she opened. "Hey, Em," she greeted.

"Hi. My parents were wondering if you guys could keep the mus-what are you wearing?" Emily asked in surprise.

"Clothes, Emily," Casey responded. "You were saying something about the music?" she prompted as she opened the door further.

"Yeah, Mom and Dad want you to keep it down," Emily replied, coming in.

"Yeah, sorry about that," Sam apologized as Derek rolled his eyes.

"But we **gotta** play it loud! Otherwise it's not rock and roll," Ralph protested.

"They threatened to call the police, Ralph," Emily told him.

"Oh," Ralph said, blinking.

"We weren't **that** loud…were we?" Derek asked in surprise. Sure they had gotten complaints from the neighbors before, but they had mentioned calling the police.

"Derek, it's the fifth time this month you've woken them up," Emily told him.

"Yeah, okay, fair point," Derek admitted.

"Well, I'm out of here," Casey said.

"Where are you going?" Emily wondered.

"Library. I got some homework that I need to spend some extra time on," Casey replied.

"Need a study buddy?" Emily offered.

"Sure," Casey replied. Then, they headed out and took the bus to the public library, where Casey opened her backpack and took out her books. Then, she opened her science book and perused the page. However, her actions with Curtis kept filling her mind.

"Casey?" Emily asked and Casey shook her head to clear it. "Are you okay?" she questioned, her brows furrowing in concern.

"I'm fine, Em. I just-well, Curtis and I started making out and I can't get it out of my head," Casey replied.

"You were making out with him?" Emily asked in surprise. "You barely even know him," she reminded.

"I know enough."

"Like what?"

"That he's sweet, funny, he's very careful while he's driving his motorcycle, and he's hot." _Plus, he's a feral and can keep up with me during a sparring session_, the girl added to herself.

"Casey! Are you even listening to yourself!" Emily stared in shock. What was Casey saying? This was all surface stuff. She shouldn't be making out with him when she didn't even know what this guy was like. "What if he's some kind of psycho? I mean, for all you know, he could have thirteen bodies down in a basement or something." Casey let out a breath.

"Look, I don't expect you to understand this, but Curtis and I have a deeper connection than you could ever dream of."

"What connection? Talk to me."

"I can't. I'm sorry." Again, Emily stared at Casey in shock. "Look, I'm sorry I said anything. Let's just focus here." With that, Casey turned her attention back to her work and Emily did the same, though her gaze would sporadically turn to her friend, who would once in a while get a dreamy look on her face. _What is up with her? I'm not sure I like this_, Emily thought to herself and vowed then and there to figure out what was going on with her friend.


	5. High Tempers

SHOUT OUTS/ANSWERS

Dark-Supernatural-Angel: Thanks, I'm glad you liked it. Wasn't in the cards, thanks I'm glad you liked it. Sorry this isn't soon enough.

DISCLAIMER

Life With Derek belongs to Canadian Television and Disney. Mutant X belongs to Marvel Studios, Tribune, and Fireworks Entertainment. I only own the plot. I skipped two days to help further the plot along a bit.

A couple of days later, Casey and Curtis walked into Sir John Sparrow Thompson High hand-in-hand. They stopped by Curtis' locker first and he got some books that he had left there, then they went to Casey's locker. Casey rolled her eyes as she heard footsteps approaching.

"Emily?" she asked.

"Yep," Curtis confirmed.

"Thought so. She always goes heavy on the perfume," Casey said, wrinkling her nose.

"Casey, hey," Emily greeted.

"Hey, Em," Casey responded.

"I'll catch you later, Casey," Curtis said. He gave her a quick kiss and then headed off.

"So, what's been going on with you lately? I mean, you're dressing differently, you get distracted easily, and worst of all, you're hanging all over some guy you barely even know," Emily stated.

"Curtis and I know each other just fine," Casey responded. "In fact, he knows me better than you do," she continued.

"Casey," Emily said in surprise. _What is she talking about? She's my best friend. I know everything about her_, she thought.

"Now, come on. Let's get to homeroom," Casey continued and then walked off. For a moment, Emily just stared. What had that been about? Then, she followed her friend to the classroom. Throughout the rest of the morning, Emily tried to get Casey to talk to her, with no luck. Finally, Emily walked up to Sam and Derek.

"There's something wrong with Casey," she declared.

"Oh, and you're just figuring that out now?" Derek quipped.

"I'm serious, Derek!" Emily snapped. "She's not acting like herself. I mean, look at the way she's dressing," she continued.

"It's not exactly immodest," Sam stated.

"But it's not her normal style either," Emily pointed out. "And every time you turn around, she's with Curtis," she continued. The boys turned to see the two walking down the halls, his arm slung around her shoulders. He said something to her and she threw her head back in laughter. "See? This isn't like her!" Emily said.

"She may have a point here, Derek," Sam agreed. "I mean, she didn't act like this with me or Max," he continued. Derek watched as Curtis leaned in closer and whispered something, causing his stepsister to giggle. Just then, he saw a cheerleader walk up to them.

"Oh, wait. Stacey's coming up to them. **This** should be interesting," he said and Sam, Derek, and Emily stepped closer so they could hear what was being said.

"Hi, Curtis," Stacey greeted breathlessly. Sam and Derek couldn't help but stare at the blonde-haired girl who was wearing an outfit of a yellow blouse and blue skirt that just **barely** broke the school's dress code.

"Hey," Curtis greeted curtly, his arms still around Casey's shoulders.

"So, when are you going to offer me a ride on your bike?" Stacey asked flirtatiously, trailer her fingers up his chest.

"Oh, my gosh. Can she get any more obvious?" Emily muttered.

"How does 'Never' sound to you?" Casey asked.

"Butt out, geek. I'm not talking to you," Stacey sneered. Derek's eyes flashed. No one talked to Casey that way except him. With a huff, Curtis removed Stacey's fingers from his chest.

"Like my girlfriend said, I'm never going to offer you a ride and I'll never go out on a date with you, so stop bothering us," he said.

"Girlfriend?" Sam, Emily, Derek gasped in surprise. _They barely even know each other_, Emily thought. _Dude, we didn't even say we were boyfriend and girlfriend for a few months_, Sam mused. _Okay, maybe Emily's right. There's something weird going on here_, Derek silently said to himself.

"Girlfriend?" Stacey asked in horror. _He's actually dating this loser?_ she thought.

"Girlfriend?" Casey questioned happily. _He really thinks of me as a girlfriend?_ she wondered, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear.

"Yeah, girlfriend," Curtis confirmed. He then removed his arm from her shoulders, put one hand in her hair, caressed her cheek with the other hand, and kissed her fully on the lips. Casey moaned. _Curtis_, she thought blissfully as she felt his fingers wrap themselves in her hair. She reached up and placed her hands on his face. With a huff of anger, Stacey stomped off. With a chuckle, Curtis and Casey broke apart.

"That showed her," she said playfully.

"Sure did," he agreed. Then, they headed off. After that, no one got a chance to talk to them until lunch time. Curtis and Casey had just sat down when Sam came up to them.

"Hey, can I sit with you guys?" he asked.

"Sure," Casey and Curtis answered together. Sam sat down. _There's __**gotta**__ be a reason she's acting this way_, he thought to himself, staring at his ex girlfriend.

"So Case, there's been somethin' I've been meaning to ask you," Curtis said suddenly.

"Yes?" Casey queried.

"We've been seein' each other for a few days and-"

"You wanna meet my parents?"

"Yes." Sam blinked in surprise. How had Casey known what this guy was thinking?

"Hey, that's cool. Look, why don't you come over after school?" she suggested.

"Okay, yeah. That'll work," the boy agreed.

"Casey, shouldn't you ask your parents if it's okay first?" Sam asked.

"It'll be fine, Sam. Mom's been wanting to meet Curtis ever since I started talking about him," Casey replied. Then, after finishing lunch, she and Curtis stood up and walked away, leaving Sam to stare in surprise. After that, there were no more opportunities to talk to the two as they went to their classes together and then avoided everyone else. Finally, after school, Casey met Curtis by his motorcycle.

"Oh, hey. Got something for you," Curtis stated. He opened the glove box and then pulled out a red and black helmet.

"You were so eager for me to be your riding buddy that you went out and bought a new helmet already?" Casey teased.

"Actually, I just painted over the pink," Curtis replied.

"Very creative," Casey approved, strapping the helmet on. Curtis also put his helmet on. Then, the two got on his bike and he took off. When they arrived at the MacDonald/Venturi residence and walked in, Nora and George had already come home.

"And who is this?" George asked.

"Curtis Valentine, Sir," Curtis answered. "You must be Casey's father," he continued, holding out his hand.

"Her, stepfather, George Venturi," came the confirmation, as George shook the boy's hand.

"So you're the boy who's gotten my daughter smitten," Nora commented.

"Yes, Ma'am," as Derek came in.

"What's **he** doing here?" he sneered.

"Curtis is here to meet Mom and George," Casey replied.

"Yeah. I mean, we've been recently started going out and I figured it was better to get it over with," Curtis added.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. You're dating?" George asked.

"That's kind of sudden," Derek added. _I don't like this. Casey wouldn't usually fall for this_, he thought in concern.

"Not really," Casey said. Nora bit her lip and glanced at her husband. She could see both sides here. From what she understood, ferals would often make instant connections with each other, meaning that it was perfectly normal for them to start dating right away, but from George's view point, Casey was dating a boy she hardly knew. _What do I do? What do I say?_ the woman wondered.

"Casey, may I talk to you in the kitchen?" George asked.

"Sure, George," Casey agreed and followed the man into the kitchen. "So, what's up?" she asked, hopping onto the kitchen counter.

"Casey, what do you even know about this boy?" George asked.

"He's sweet, he's funny, he's extremely careful when he's on his motorcycle, and he gets me," Casey replied. _And that some idiot doctor decided to mess with his genes while he had Leukemia and turned him into a feral_, she added silently, but didn't say that.

"So in essence, you know nothing about him," the man commented. _I don't understand. She's usually much more cautious and smarter than this_, he thought to himself. Casey let out a sigh_. Of course. It __**would**__ seem like I'm jumping into things, but…I can't explain this to him_, she thought.

"I know enough, George. I know he's safe," she assured.

"How? How do you know?" the man persisted.

"I just do! You have to do trust me on this, George," she told him.

"Casey, in most instances I would, but…now…you…" the man struggled for the right words to use. What could he say to convey his feelings without sounding like he was insulting her? "I just think you need to slow down," he finally stated.

"Slow down? We're just dating! It's not like we got married!" Casey exclaimed, jumping off of the counter.

"You keep this up and I won't even let you see him," George threatened.

"You can't tell me what to do! You're not my father!" Casey shouted. She then stormed out of the kitchen.

"Is everything okay?" Nora asked.

"Let's go Curtis," Casey snarled and the two quickly left, leaving the rest of the family to stare in shock.

AUTHOR'S NOTE

I **am** working on Adventures Of The Youngest Salvatore", but it's going slow.


	6. Talks And Plots

SHOUT OUTS/ANSWERS

Dark-Supernatural-Angel: Thanks. Well, you get the answer to that in this chap. Sorry this isn't soon enough.

BigTimeGleekBTR: Thanks, I'm glad you like it. Sorry it's not soon enough.

DISCLAIMER

Life With Derek belongs to Canadian Television and Disney. Mutant X belongs to Marvel Studios, Tribune, and Fireworks Entertainment. I only own the plot and characters you don't recognize. Special thanks to Dark-Supernatural-Angel for the idea on the flashback.

After leaving, the two went to _Delancey's Gym_, where Casey immediately started an intense martial arts routine, with Curtis as her partner. Several minutes later, he was thrown over her shoulders and pinned to the ground.

"Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Mercy! You don't have to kill me!" he exclaimed, knocking her foot off of his ribs.

"Sorry. It's just that fight I had with George," she said, helping him up. "I mean, who does he think he is?"

"Uh, from his point of view, your stepfather who's worried about one of his kids dating someone she hardly knows," came the response. She shot him a look. "Don't give me that look. Even **Derek** wanted to know what my intentions were." She blinked.

"Really?" she asked. _I didn't think he cared_, she thought.

"Yeah. It was when you and George were in the kitchen," he told her.

_"So Curtis, you and Casey are dating, huh?" Derek asked._

_ "Yep," Curtis replied._

_ "And why are you dating her?" Derek demanded._

_ "Because she's sweet, caring, she makes me laugh…" Curtis' voice trailed off._

_ "And if another girl-say Stacey Reynolds-were to ask you out and not to tell Casey-" Derek began to ask._

_ "I'd tell her to buzz off," Curtis interrupted and he saw something like approval in the boy's eyes._

_ "So, tell me, how can a guy like you be attracted to Casey?" Derek asked._

_ "Derek, that's enough," Nora interjected. "Curtis, while I'm a little uneasy about you and Casey starting something so fast, I remember what it was like to be your age and I just want you two to be careful," she continued. _

_ "We will be," Curtis promised._

_ "Good. Because if you're not, I'm not the only one you have to answer to," Nora stated._

"I can't believe Derek did that," Casey commented.

"I can," Curtis replied. "I mean, he tried to pass it off as him being a jerk, but I could tell that he was truly concerned," he added.

"Yeah, that sounds like Derek," she stated. Then, "What am I going to do about George? I know I hurt him so badly when I said that he wasn't my father." Meanwhile, back at the MacDonald/Venturi residence, Nora was trying to console George.

"I can't believe she said that to me. I mean, I would've expected it the first couple of years when we were married, but to say that now…" he said. _I've always seen Casey and Lizzie as my daughters and I thought Casey viewed me as her father_, he thought to himself.

"Oh, honey, I'm sure she didn't mean it," Nora soothed. _I'll admit that she was pretty harsh, but it's not like Casey can tell him that she knows Curtis is perfectly safe because she had him checked out when they first met_, she thought. Only she and Lizzie knew that Casey was a mutant, something that she knew had been very lonely for the girl. George sighed.

"I just…I was worried about her," he said.

"I know. And she knows that too," she replied, reaching up to caress his face. "Don't worry, it'll all work out." She gave him a quick kiss and he shot his wife a grateful smile. He still didn't know what to do, but at least he felt somewhat better. Meanwhile, Edwin, Lizzie, Marti, and Derek had met in Edwin's room to discuss what happened.

"Okay, all know that Casey didn't mean what she said, but she'd be too embarrassed to apologize for it in front of all of us, so how can we get her and dad alone so that they can talk?" Edwin asked. _Yeah, I know my stepsister and she won't want an audience for something like this_, he thought. Normally, he wouldn't care, but this required some tact.

"I for one would like to see her squirm. Dad's been a better father to her than Dennis ever was," Derek stated. _I can't believe she actually said that to him. Who does she think she is?_ he wondered. It wasn't like her. This thought made him frown. If Casey suddenly wasn't acting like herself, maybe this Curtis guy was bigger trouble than he thought.

"You're not helping, Derek," Lizzie snapped, glaring at the boy. _Can't he ever just cut her some slack?_ she wondered.

"Is something wrong with Casey? I mean, she's not acting like herself," Marti pointed out. _If Casey's doing something bad, we gotta stop her_, she thought. Derek blew out a breath. What could he say? He didn't want to admit that he was actually feeling-**concern**-for Casey. That wasn't him. He didn't care about her. And yet…he couldn't deny that he wanted answers for why she had fallen so hard for Curtis and why she was totally changing.

"We don't know, Marti. That's why we're having this meeting," Edwin answered.

"Look, I agree with Edwin. We need to come up with a way for Casey and George to talk with each other. I mean, it's not going to be easy to live with Casey if she's feeling bad about being mean to George, and we all know how she **hates** confrontations…unless she's arguing with Derek," Lizzie stated and everyone ignored the boy's exclamation of protest. Derek's eyes clouded. His younger siblings had a point. Casey would never come out and directly apologize. She'd be too embarrassed and would try to do it indirectly. So, it was up to them to figure out a way to give her a push in the right direction. Suddenly, it hit him.

"I've got it," he said. "Okay, here's what we do…"

AUTHOR'S NOTE

Yes, I'm evil ending it there. However, the truth is, I'm stuck on how to do get George and Casey alone so that she can apologize and this will give me time to come up with something.


	7. Concern

SHOUT OUTS/ANSERS

Dark-Supernatural-Angel: Yeah, I figured he would. Thanks, I'm glad you liked that part. While that would be interesting, I can't see Casey skipping classes. Sorry this isn't soon enough.

BigTimeGleekBTR: Thanks. Here's the next chap. Sorry it's not soon enough.

DISCLAIMER

Mutant X belongs to Fireworks Entertainment, Marvel Studios, and Tribune. Life With Derek belongs to Canadian Television and Disney.

Later that night, Curtis dropped Casey off at her house. He waited until she was inside and then he took off.

"You're out rather late," George noted. Even though she had known he was there, Casey made a show of jumping in surprise.

"George," she said.

"Casey," he noted.

"Yes, I was out late," she allowed. "I had some stuff to think over," she continued.

"Like what?" George questioned.

"Like how I treated you," she answered. "Look, you were doing what any good father would do, and I appreciate it. And I know I hurt your feelings when I said that you weren't my father, and I'm so sorry," she continued. "You've been really good to us, and I'd never want to hurt you for anything in the world." George fought to swallow the lump in his throat, but found that he couldn't. Casey walked up to him and hugged him, being careful not to use her feral strength. George wrapped his arms around the girl.

"It's okay," he told her. "But you're grounded for the weekend for your attitude and staying out past curfew. No going out," he continued. _It's the first time she's stayed out late and she's never spoken to me like that before. Heck, I had been lenient with Derek the first time he had stayed out late_, he thought to himself.

"Fair enough," she agreed. Then, she went up to her room, got into her pajamas, and then went to bed. The next morning, she got dressed, got her things together, and then waited until Derek was ready and they left for school. Once there, Casey waited in the halls until she saw Curtis.

"Well, you seem calmer," the boy noticed.

"Yeah, George was waiting for me last night. I apologized," she said and he nodded.

"That's good."

"And I'm grounded for the weekend. Can't go out, which means I won't be able to go to _Delancey's_ for a few days." He made a face.

"Bummer."

"Ah, it could be worse."

"True." They headed off as the warning bell rang. As the day progressed, Casey and Curtis continued to spend time together. Finally, at lunch, Derek walked up to them as they got into the lunch line.

"Can we help you?" Curtis asked.

"Casey, are you gonna apologize to my father?" Derek demanded.

"I already did last night when I came in late. I'm grounded for my attitude and breaking curfew. And I'm sorry if by hurting George's feelings, I hurt your feelings," Casey responded. Derek gaped. He hadn't been expecting **that**.

"Oh. Well, whatever. It's not like I care," he finally said. Casey rolled her eyes and turned back to Curtis.

"Humans," she muttered in a voice only her boyfriend could hear and the boy laughed. Then, they moved through the lunch line, picking out certain items, and then sat at a table. As he joined Sam, Emily, and Ralph at a different table, Derek glanced at Casey and Curtis. _What is up with those two? And how can Casey just be so blasé about how she treated Dad?_ he wondered. It just didn't make any sense. But at least she had supposedly apologized. So that was something. But he still wanted to know why she was acting so weird. Then, with a mental shake of his head, he refocused his attention on his lunch. What was he thinking? Who cared if his stepsister was acting weird? He sure didn't! From their table, Casey watched Derek from the corner of her eye. Seriously? Who was he trying to fool? She could **totally** tell that he was watching them.

"Let me guess, he's watching us?" Curtis asked.

"Yep," Casey confirmed. "The boy is too curious for his own good…even though he'd **never** admit it," she continued and her boyfriend let out a half smile.

"Not surprising. I mean, if someone in my family was suddenly acting strange, I'd be curious too," he stated. When they were finished with lunch, they stood up, took their trays to the area in which they were disposed of, and then walked out. Soon after, Derek, Ralph, Sam, and Emily followed suit. Then, they all went to their classes. For the rest of the day, no one got a chance to talk to Casey or Curtis. When school finally ended, they all went their separate ways towards their cars or rides.

"So that I don't get in trouble with Dad or Nora, am I taking you home?" Derek questioned.

"Nah, I can take her," Curtis answered.

"Works for me," Derek shrugged. It didn't really matter to him. He just wanted to make sure he wouldn't get in trouble. The kids all got in or on their respective vehicles and then left the premises. When they got there, Curtis parked the bike; he and Casey put their motorcycle helmets down and then walked inside, Curtis close behind her. A few minutes later, George, Nora, Lizzie, Edwin, and Marti walked in.

"And who's this?" Nora asked.

"That's right. We didn't officially meet last time. You must be Casey's parents. I'm Curtis Valentine," the boy introduced himself, holding out a hand.

"Nice to meet you, Curtis. I'm Nora and this is my husband, George," Nora stated, taking the hand and shaking it. Then, George did the same.

"I hate to cut this short, but better get going so that Mom and Dad don't get worried. Case, I'll see you later, babe," Curtis said, placing a hand on her wrist.

"Oh, you can count on it," Casey smiled, putting a hand on his hand. Unnoticed, she summoned her powers and let out a small charge, causing her boyfriend to wince slightly.

"See you later," Curtis said again.

"Okay," Casey agreed as he headed out. "Oh, and Curtis?" he turned back to her. "Don't call me 'babe', okay?"

"You got it." He put Casey's helmet in the glove box, put his helmet on, started the engine, and then took off.

"So that was Curtis?" Nora asked.

"Yeah. He would've stayed longer, but he had to get home,' Casey answered.

"I see," George mused. Who was this kid? And why was this the first time he was hearing about him? For that matter, why did Nora know about him and he didn't? They usually told each other everything about what was going on in the kids' lives. Why would she hide this from him? Before George could ask any further questions, Casey went upstairs. Despite the grounding, the weekend went by fast for Casey. She got her homework done, e-mailed some old friends, and got her chores done. On Monday morning, after she and Derek arrived at school, she bounded up the steps and then was swept into a hug by Curtis.

"I missed you," he told her, setting back on the ground.

"I missed you too," she answered. "And I hated being cooped up. I like to be out and about," she continued.

"Yeah, I know what you mean. Being cooped up's no fun for us," he agreed. They headed for homeroom, where they continued to talk quietly. The conversation continued until the end of the period, where they went off to their next class. However, unlike in homeroom, they were unable to talk and each focused on taking notes. When it was finally lunch time, they each got a tray of food and then met each other at a table.

"So, you wanna go to Delancey's tonight?" Curtis asked.

"**Definitely**," Casey answered. "I'm gonna need to get out of the house."

"I can imagine." They laughed. What they didn't know was that from another table, Sam, Emily, Ralph, and Kendra were watching them.

"Wow. I still can't believe that they hit it off so fast," Kendra commented.

"Yeah. I mean, it's not like Casey. I think there's something wrong," Emily stated. _I don't like this. She's totally changed ever since she met him_, she thought to herself.

"Oh, please. The only strange thing is that the guy would actually fall for a loser like her," Derek scoffed.

"Hey! I fell for her and she's not a loser," Sam snapped as Kendra and Emily both smacked him. They continued to watch as the two kept talking. When lunch was finally over, they all went to their classes. After school, Sam, Emily, Derek, Casey, Ralph, Kendra, and Curtis went to their own vehicles.

"Case, you want me to pick you up tonight?" he asked.

"Yes, please," came the answer.

"Kay. See ya at six," he told her.

"See ya," she responded, and they all went their separate ways. Once she and Derek were home, Casey went straight to her room and started on her homework. A couple of hours later, she was done and then walked downstairs.

"Casey, are you eating with us?" Nora asked.

"No, Curtis is taking me to _Delancey's_. We'll get something there," Casey replied.

"Yeah, I know this weekend was hard for you, honey. I **am** sorry," the woman said. _It can't be easy for a feral to be stuck indoors_, she thought to herself.

"Forget about it," the girl assured. A few minutes later, the sound of a motorcycle engine was heard and Casey ran outside as Derek went to the garage. He had to admit, he was curious as to where she went every night. And Emily **was** right: Casey wasn't acting like herself.

"Ready to rock and roll?" Curtis asked.

"Oh, yeah," Casey answered, grabbing her helmet, strapping it on, and then getting on the motorcycle. Then, he started off. Derek waited until they were far away enough that they wouldn't see him, but he still had them in sight, to go after them. To his surprise, they went across town. _Where are they going?_ he wondered. His surprise heightened when the boy stopped in front of a building. _What is this place?_ he wondered. They walked in and as soon as they did, he saw a man turn the 'Open' sign around so that the building was marked as 'Closed'. _Okay, it's official. I'm worried_, Derek thought to himself. What had Casey gotten herself mixed up in? Whatever it was, it wasn't good. He had seen enough movies to know that nothing good came from having secret meetings behind closed doors. He turned off the engine and silently walked up to the building. Maybe if he could peek into one of the windows, he could figure out what was going on. As he got closer, he noticed that the sign read _Delancey's Gym_. _So this is the place she's been talking about_, Derek thought. But why would she and Curtis be able to go in after hours? _This…doesn't make sense_, he thought to himself. Then, his ears detected the faint sounds of a rock beat. Frowning, he stepped closer, intending to peer inside, but to his surprise, the blinds had been drawn. _What?_ he asked himself. Okay, this was really bad. What if Casey was in some kind of trouble?

"You're not going to get in." Startled, the boy turned around. To his surprise, a man in his late thirties was standing on the sidewalk.

"What?" the boy asked.

"Vic doesn't let anyone else in for the rest of the night unless you're one of his VIPs," the man replied.

"Well, how do you get to be a VIP here?" Derek asked.

"Heck if I know," the man replied with a shrug. "Look kid, the best advice I can give you is to come back during the day. It'll be open then," he continued.

"I can't leave. My stepsister's in there," Derek protested.

"Don't worry about her kid. Vic always takes care of his customers. Especially the VIPs," the man said. Derek started to argue some more, but though the better of it. He didn't want Casey to know that he had followed her here. And if he couldn't get in…with a sigh, Derek turned back to his car. He got in, turned the ignition on, and then left the parking lot. Inside the gym, Casey shook her head and then did a routine on the bars.

"I can't believe he followed me," she said, twisting over the top bar.

"He was worried," her boyfriend commented.

"That'd be a first," came her response. Curtis fell silent as he watched the girl. His lips curved into a smile. She was hot! Almost if she knew was he was thinking, she smirked at him. "Like what you see?"

"You know it." She laughed as she swung over the bars, doing flips and twists in the air before each new landing. When she finally landed on the ground, Curtis grabbed her, spun her around, and kissed her passionately on the lips, resulting in whoops and catcalls. Meanwhile, Derek had arrived back home and after parking the Prince in the garage, went over to Emily's house and knocked on the door, which was opened to reveal the girl.

"Can I help you?" she asked.

"We need to figure out what's wrong with Casey," he told her.


	8. No Longer Alone

SHOUT OUTS/ANSWERS

Dark-Supernatural-Angel: Thanks, unfortunately he won't find out what's going on with them until the sequel. Yeah, sorry about that. I was trying to convey that with the fight, proper introductions didn't get made. Sorry this isn't soon enough.

DISCLAIMER

Life With Derek belongs to Canadian Television and Disney. Mutant X belongs to Tribune, Marvel Studios, and Fireworks Entertainment. I only own the plot.

After Derek told her what he had seen, Emily blew out a breath.

"This doesn't make sense. Why would she and Curtis be allowed in some place after hours? And if she's really some sort of VIP member, why would people be so secretive about it?" she wondered.

"That's what I wanna know," he admitted. "Look, don't make this out to be some big thing on how deep down I care about Casey-because I **don't**-but I'm worried," he continued. Emily resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Even if he'd never publicly admit, it was obvious that he had come to care about Casey the way he cared about Edwin and Marti.

"So, what do you think we should do?" she asked.

"Maybe you could ask her tomorrow. She probably wouldn't tell me anything," he answered. _Well, that's true_, Emily thought to herself.

"Yeah, okay," she agreed. Just then, her father came to the door.

"Derek, it's getting late," the man stated.

"I was just leaving," Derek assured. "Thanks for the help."

"No problem. We'll talk later." With that, Derek went back to his house. Once he was inside, he was immediately pounced on by Lizzie, Edwin, and Marti.

"So, when are we gonna have Casey and George talk?" Marti asked.

"Actually, we're gonna have to scrap the plan," Derek answered.

"But-" Lizzie started to object.

"According to Casey, she already apologized," Derek interrupted.

"Oh," Lizzie said and the other kids grumbled in disappointment. They had been looking forward to helping.

"Maybe next time, guys," Derek said and then went up to his room. He turned on the radio and rock music blasted out of the stereo, though Derek barely heard it. What was he going to do about Casey? Something was obviously going on and he had to find out what. Meanwhile, back at the gym, Casey and Curtis had finally finished their kiss and Casey had returned to the bars while Curtis had taken a spot on one of the weight machines. Vic looked at his watch.

"Five minutes, everyone!" he called and everyone let out a groan of disappointment. However, they all finished up what they were doing and then gathered up their belongings.

"Well, I guess I better take you home," Curtis said.

"That'd be wise," Casey answered. They walked to his motorcycle, where he got her helmet out of the glove box, strapped their helmets on, got on the bike, and Curtis drove off. When they got to the MacDonald/Venturi residence, Casey dismounted from the bike, unstrapped her helmet, and put it in the glove box as he took off his own helmet. She started to leave, but he snagged her arm and pulled her close, allowing him to give her a kiss. For a few moments, she reciprocated the actions, but then pulled away.

"I have to go. Good night," she said, trying to be firm, but laughing despite herself. Curtis let out a good-natured grumble as he re-strapped his helmet, and then took off. With a smile, Casey went up to her bedroom, where she undressed and then got into a bed. As she drifted off to sleep, a smile graced her lips as she reveled in the fact that she was no longer alone.

THE END

AUTHOR'S NOTE

Yes, this is short and ended abruptly, but I needed to end this fic this way so that I could set up "Wild Girl" in which Derek and Emily **will** find out about Casey, otherwise this fic would've gone on for far too long.


End file.
